(WSPA) – The topic of death is never easy to discuss, but with the average funeral between $7,000-$12,000, doing your research today can save you from financial hardship when you lose a loved one.
In this Consumer Exclusive, we take an in-depth look at how families can save on death expenses while still honoring the wishes of the dead.
Have the talk
If there is anything that can bring peace in a time of grief, Debbie Workman said it’s the open discussions well before death, like the ones she had with her husband Ed.
“My husband and I talked about it and I just couldn’t see, neither of us could see putting that much money in the ground. We wanted instead of the mortuary having it, we wanted one of us to have it,” the Inman widow said.
Never shy, even about tough talks, Workman said her husband chose cremation versus a burial and viewing, a cost savings Workman estimates at more than $8,000.
His urn was not purchased, but rather a precious family heirloom.
“I have just come in here and laid my head down on it like this, and tell him how much I miss him,” Workman said next to the urn.